Sunrises for a Smoking Gun

Ch. 1 New Sheriff in Town

Rain fell heavily in the old, abandoned ghost town. A gunslinger stood next to the body of an older man, freshly shot in the chest. The winner held her smoking gun as raindrops covered the tears in her eyes.

Calliope Mori stuttered, trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry, Pa."

Calliope fell to her knees, her angry and grief-stricken screams drowned out by the rain's thunder. On that day, a dark story from her past had finally come to an end. Calli knew that it was all her fault, and she couldn't help but wonder what would happen now. Where could she go? Questions swirled in her head as she looked to her deceased father for answers. She hoped that he would offer guidance as he always had, but he remained silent, his face drained of color.

As Calliope stood up, something caught her eye - her father's sheriff badge. He had been the sheriff for as long as she could remember, always looking out for his family and the town. But due to mistakes that had been made, it was all gone now. Calli reached for the badge and placed it on her chest before strapping her gun to her side.

"I promise, Pa," Calli whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "No more. I'll do things right this time, I swear. I'll find a good place to live and people to protect, just like you always have. I'll right my wrongs."

Calli stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out a sharp whistle, calling her horse over to her. She then picked up her dad and placed him on the horse before taking him to the outskirts of the abandoned town to give him a proper burial.

--Months Later--

The small town of Holovally was abuzz with news that they would soon be getting a new sheriff. This quiet town didn't see much action, but recently had the misfortune of losing their last sheriff to a snake bite. Preacher Ouro sent word to the city requesting a replacement, and their request was approved. They were told that the new sheriff would arrive in a week. As the week passed, Preacher Ouro stood outside her church, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new sheriff. As the noon bell rang, Preacher Ouro began to lose hope that the new sheriff would show up.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by, revealing a figure on top of a tall black horse. Preacher Ouro kissed her cross, thanking her God for providing their town with hope. The figure rode her horse into town, taking in the sights. Holovally seemed to have all the necessary stores: a church, a general store, a barber shop, an inn, and, of course, a saloon - no town would be complete without one.

Calli stopped in front of the saloon because she could already hear a fight going on inside. Just as she was about to dismount her horse, the bartender threw a young, drunk girl out of the saloon.

"Baelz Hakos! You'd better sober that head of yours before I do it for you!" Irys exclaimed.

Calli watched as the drunk red haired girl tried her best to stand up and make her way back to the saloon.

"Aw, come on, Irys, I'm not that drunk. Me and the girls were just having a little fun, that's all," Bae protested.

"I warned you not to get touchy-feely with my girls. They have their own work to do, something you should look into. When was the last time you worked? I can't keep holding that tab you still owe me forever," Irys scolded Bae.

Calli couldn't help but laugh at the squabble between the new townsfolk. Compared to the previous towns she had watched over, this one felt like a good town. As she rode past the noisy saloon, Calli finally arrived at the sheriff's building. She dismounted from her horse, tied him to the horse railing, and made her way inside.

Inside, there wasn't much to it, but it did have a couple of decent holding cells for a drunk or two. The walls were adorned with some of the local wanted posters, and there was a desk for the sheriff to work at. As Calli began to walk around, she heard a knock at the door. Turning around, she saw the local preacher.